The world is growing increasingly more interconnected. Those new connections take on a variety of forms – owing, least not, to cheaper and faster ways of travelling, global trade and, of course, the internet. These physical and electronic connections bring greater opportunities, but also many challenges. These opportunities include being able to collaborate with people on the other side of the globe, maintain flexible living and working conditions, share ideas and innovations, touch and inspire a worldwide audience and develop trade relations unbound by borders.

Communication, however, is more than simply being physically or electronically connected. Fully fledged communication needs linguistic connection – semantic connection, cultural connection, emotional connection and personal connection.

Making the most of new-found opportunities in an interconnected world means leveraging language capital – producing language that can be fully understood by your audience, partners and customers.

Language is linked to identity, history and culture. Speaking to a person in his or her language is more than using a codified system of words, but understanding the cultural and historical context behind those words. Being able to speak a language means being able to understand what the words of that language mean to the native speakers of that language.

As a native English speaker and experienced translator, I command a level of cultural and linguistic knowledge which allows me to meticulously navigate the linguistic landscape of British English and avoid various pitfalls and traps. This knowledge takes on a form of intuition for the ‘native speaker’. Knowing what areas of a language to use and avoid is important if you want to draw an audience and not alienate it.

Localising language content is also important for building a rapport or personal connection with your audience. Avoiding offence is one thing, but it’s yet an altogether different matter trying to ‘connect’ with your audience on a cultural and personal level. For example, people are more likely to buy from companies they think are local than faceless multi-national companies. Here it’s crucial to use language that will have maximum resonance with the audience.

It’s for these reasons that professionals may sometimes have to consider ‘transcreation’ rather than translation in areas of marketing and advertising. The ‘translated’ text will have significant differences to the original. This more ‘creative translation’ seeks to convey the message from one language in another language while preserving the same degree of salience. Of course, the degree of localisation will depend on your requirements and purposes.

As a native English translator, I can help facilitate effective communication between you and your English-speaking target audience. Email me today to request a quote.